Man Found Shot In Parking Lot Of San Leandro’s Bayfair Mall

Police on the scene of a shooting at the Bayfair Center shopping mall in San Leandro on December 20, 2013. (CBS)Police on the scene of a shooting at the Bayfair Center shopping mall in San Leandro on December 20, 2013. (CBS)

SAN LEANDRO (CBS SF) — A man was shot in the parking lot of a San Leandro shopping mall on Friday afternoon after an argument, according to police.

The victim and suspect apparently got into an argument in the mall’s northwest parking lot when the suspect shot the victim, a 24-year-old man, police said.

The man remained in the parking lot suffering a gunshot wound when police arrived. He was taken to a hospital with wounds that did not appear life-threatening, police said.

Investigators interviewed witnesses, who said the suspect was a black man that escaped in a white compact car. Police have not determined whether the argument was the only motive in the shooting.

“Someone who is brave enough to do a shooting in broad daylight at a large shopping mall in the East Bay, where there are many shoppers during the holiday season here, is quite capable of almost anything,” Lt. Robert McManus of the San Leandro Police Department said at a briefing Friday night.

While parts of the parking lot were blocked off as police investigated, Bayfair Center remained open for shoppers Friday night, with the exception of a few stores.

“I’m just glad no kids got shot at the mall…with all of these families,” Ben Friedman, a holiday shopper, told KPIX 5.

The shooting took place about an hour before a gunman opened fire outside the main entrance of the Tracy Mall in San Joaquin County. There were no injuries reported. Police could not find the gunman after the mall was locked down for an hour.

San Leandro Police are asking anyone who witnessed the Bayfair shooting to contact them at (510) 577-2740.

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